Oh my baby baby, I love you more than I can tell
I don't think I can live without you
And I know that I never will
Oh my baby baby, I want you so it scares me to death
I can't say anymore than "I love you"
Everything else is a waste of breath
I want you
You've had your fun, you don't get well no more
I want you
Your fingernails go dragging down the wall
Be careful darling, you might fall
I want you
I woke up and one of us was crying
I want you
You said "Young man I do believe you're dying"
I want you
If you need a second opinion as you seem to do these days
I want you
You can look in my eyes and you can count the ways
I want you
Did you mean to tell me but seem to forget
I want you
Since when were you so generous and inarticulate
I want you
It's the stupid details that my heart is breaking for
It's the way your shoulders shake and what they're shaking for
I want you
It's knowing that he knows you now after only guessing
It's the thought of him undressing you or you undressing
I want you
He tossed some tatty compliment your way
I want you
And you were fool enough to love it when he said
"I want you"
I want you
The truth can't hurt you, it's just like the dark
It scares you witless
But in time you see things clear and stark
I want you
Go on and hurt me then we'll let it drop
I want you
I'm afraid I won't know where to stop
I want you
I'm not ashamed to say I cried for you
I want you
I want to know the things you did that we do too
I want you
I want to hear he pleases you more than I do
I want you
I might as well be useless for all it means to you
I want you
Did you call his name out as he held you down
I want you
Oh no my darling, not with that clown
I want you
I want you
You've had your fun, you don't get well no more
I want you
No one who wants you could want you more
I want you
I want you
I want you
Every night when I go off to bed and when I wake up
I want you
I'm going to say it again 'til I instill it
I know I'm going to feel this way until you kill it
I want you
I want you
I want you
|
I Want You |
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Written by | Declan MacManus |
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Performed by | Elvis Costello & The Attractions |
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Produced by | Nick Lowe with Colin Fairley |
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Musicians | Elvis Costello - vocals, guitar Steve Nieve - keyboards Bruce Thomas - bass Pete Thomas - drums Nick Lowe - acoustic guitar |
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Recorded | March-May 1986, Olympic Studios, London |
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Released | September 15, 1986 |
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Albums | Blood & Chocolate, 1986 |
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Singles | I Want You, 1986 |
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Collections | Girls Girls Girls, 1986 ("single version") The Very Best Of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, 1994 The Very Best Of Elvis Costello, 1999 Singles, Volume 3, 2003 The Best Of Elvis Costello The First 10 Years, 2007 |
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Various Artists collections | Pop Classics - The Long Versions 4, 1992 Greatest Hits Of The '80's, 1992 Kose Rock: The Most Beautiful Lovesongs, 1995 The Best Of Brit Pop, 1996 Tijdloze Honderd Vol 3, 1997 Not With That Clown (Great Songs Of Sexual Jealousy: The Human Condition Series Vol 1), 1997 Arcade Hot 100: The Complete Hits Collection, 1999 Rough Trade Shops: Singer Songwriter 1, 2006 Life Is Music, 2008 |
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Promos | UK Elvis Costello, 2002 |
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Length | 6:39 (most releases) 5:50 (Girls Girls Girls edit) |
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Note | The edited version on Girls Girls Girls is identified as the "single version", but the actual single uses the full-length album version. |
“The sound of this track was always going to be the aural equivalent of a blurred polaroid, so no apologies for the lack of fidelity. None are needed, it's just a pornographic snapshot; lots of broken glass, a squashed box of chocolates and a little blood on the wall.” — Girls Girls Girls liner notes, 1989.
Alternate versions
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Covers
Template:Elvis Costello covers: I Want You
Chords
A E A A A7 E
Oh my baby baby I love you more than I can tell
A A7 D(/A)
I don't think I can live without you
A E A
And I know that I never will
A E A A A7 E
Oh my baby baby I want you so it scares me to death
A A7 D(/A)
I can't say anymore than "I love you"
A E7 F#m
Everything else is a waste of breath
D#m
Em G
I want you
C B7
You've had your fun you don't get well no more
Em G
I want you
C B D#m
Your fingernails go dragging down the wall
B7 C B7
Be careful darling you might fall
I want you
I woke up and one of us was crying
I want you
You said "Young man I do believe you're dying"
I want you
If you need a second opinion as you seem to do these days
You can look in my eyes and you can count the ways
I want you
Did you mean to tell me but seem to forget?
I want you
Since when were you so generous and inarticulate?
I want you
It's the stupid details that my heart is breaking for
It's the way your shoulders shake and what they're shaking for
It's knowing that he knows you now after only guessing
I want you
It's the thought of him undressing you or you undressing
I want you
He tossed some tatty compliment your way
I want you
And you were fool enough to love it when he said
"I want you"
I want you
The truth can't hurt you it's just like the dark
It scares you witless
But in time you see things clear and stark
I want you
Go on and hurt me then we'll let it drop
I want you
I'm afraid I won't know where to stop
I want you
I'm not ashamed to say I cried for you
I want you
I want to know the things you did that we do too
I want you
I want to hear he pleases you more than I do
I want you
I might as well be useless for all it means to you
I want you
Did you call his name out as he held you down
I want you
Oh no my darling not with that clown
I want you
You've had your fun you don't get well no more
I want you
No one who wants you could want you more
I want you
Every night when I go off to bed and when I wake up
I want you
I want you
I'm going to say it again 'til I instill it
I know I'm going to feel this way until you kill it
I want you
I want you
Internal links
External links